The current methods of treatment for gastrointestinal disorders, such as GERD, include medical intervention (drug therapy) or stimulation of lower esophageal region with RF or other energy. While effective to a certain degree, a more robust intervention would be desirable to achieve a longer term and more effective result.
In the case of severe obesity, patients may currently undergo several types of surgery either to tie off or staple portions of the large or small intestine or stomach, and/or to bypass portions of the same, e.g., to reduce the amount of food desired by the patient, and/or to reduce the amount of food absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. Typically, these stomach reduction procedures are performed surgically through an open incision and staples or sutures are applied externally to the stomach or hollow body organ; however, several limitations exist due to the invasiveness of the procedures, including, e.g., time, use of general anesthesia, healing of the incisions, and other complications attendant to major surgery.
There is a need for improved devices and procedures in treating both gastrointestinal disorders and severe obesity. In addition, because of the invasiveness of many of the conventional surgical procedures used to manipulate, in particular, the stomach, there remains a need for improved devices and methods for more effective, less invasive intragastric restriction or partitioning procedures.